The present invention relates to a level-wind mechanism in a fishing reel of the multiplier type.
Known fishing reels of the multipier type have a frame with two side members, a line-spool shaft, a line spool rotatably mounted on the line-spool shaft between said two side members, two side covers mounted on a respective side member, a mounting plate provided on one side member of the frame inwardly of the one side cover and having a spindle which is parallel to the line-spool shaft and extends through said one side cover, a handle mounted on said spindle outside said one side cover for rotating the line spool, and a driving gear mounted on said spindle to be rotated by means of the handle.
These prior-art fishing reels also have a level-wind mechanism which is adapted, upon rotation of the line spool in the direction of retrieve, i.e. the direction in which the portion of a fishing line, fixed on the line spool, that has been paid out during a cast is again wound on the line spool. Such a known level-wind mechanism is disclosed, for instance, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,919,362 and 5,158,245. The known level-wind mechanism has a sleeve provided with a slot extending along the sleeve. An endless screw is rotatably mounted in the sleeve and carries at one end a gear which is non-rotatably connected to the screw and meshes with the driving gear to be rotated thereby. A level-wind is mounted on the sleeve and has a groove-follower pin which via the slot in the sleeve engages the endless screw in order, upon rotation thereof, to move the level-wind back and forth along the sleeve so as to distribute the line evenly across the line spool.
The known level-wind mechanism is mounted between the two side members of the frame, the sleeve being inserted and non-rotatably mounted in a hole in each side member. It is difficult to mount the level-wind mechanism in the frame, since many of its components are mounted individually in the frame during the assembly of the level-wind itself.